Adaps Photonics

Adaps Photonics (灵明光子) is a Shenzhen-based developer of high-performance dToF depth sensor chips, founded in May 2018 by four PhD returnees . The company specializes in single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) technology for 3D sensing applications spanning smartphones, lidar, robotics, and VR/AR devices .

Its breakout product was the ADS3003, released in July 2021 as China's first dToF sensor built with backside-illuminated 3D stacking technology—a process previously seen only in Apple and Sony's joint development for iPad Pro and iPhone lidar, with Adaps claiming its chip exceeded that benchmark in resolution and ranging capability . By 2025, the company had expanded into four product lines: SiPM photodetectors with AEC-Q102 automotive certification and over 10 million units shipped; the Hummer series for consumer applications like robot vacuums and smart bathrooms; the Swift line for solid-state lidar in cleaning robots; and the HAWK series, featuring what it calls the world's first 440,000-pixel dToF array for pure solid-state lidar with 200-meter range .

On the funding side, Gaorong Ventures led the company's tens-of-millions RMB B1 round in 2021 and continued to participate in subsequent rounds , while ZhenFund backed it from the angel stage onward . The company closed a C2 round in mid-2024 to accelerate R&D and mass production of high-end 3D camera chips .